Portrait
by nihongirl
Summary: A picture can hold a thousand words, they say. What if those words are evil?
1. Introducing Fear

**This is my first Pokemon fic, and also my first horror, too, so forgive me if it's not all that good. It's based off of the games, not the anime, so I'm going to explain the names...**

**Hikari Sunomoto- The female protagonist from Diamond and Pearl**

**Erikah Taylors- The female protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen **

**Robyn Atlantin- The female protagonist from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald**

**Maxwell/Max Hunter- Male protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen**

**Kakashi Douroshi- Male protagonist from Diamond/Pearl**

**Seth Monroe- Antagonist/Rival from Fire/Red**

**These are the names that will be used in all my Pokemon fics from now on. **

**Please R&R... Couples will be introduced throughout the story, but the story is mainly horror.**

**Chapter one... "Introducing Fear"**

Everyone knew about the old chateau that made its home in Eterna Forest. Everyone knew-or thought- that it was haunted, and about the terrible massacre that happened there more than seventy years ago. Yet no one knew how or why it happened, or if it's really haunted. That's why she was here, though she would rather anywhere but here, -to find out.

Hikari Sunomoto shivered in the cold evening air that blew through the grass, making eerie whistling sounds. In one hand, Hikari held a flashlight, in the other, she clutched her travel-bag, as if it was an escape rope away from here. She somehow felt an eerie presence emanating from the room behind one of the old, broken windows on the second floor.

Next to Hikari stood Erikah Taylors, a fellow explorer of the unknown, and friend to Hikari. Erikah was visiting the Sinnoh region fro Kanto, and had been utterly exited when she heard about the old, haunted manor house standing in front of her, and had instantly voted to explore.

Erikah's cousin, Maxwell Hunter, like Hikari, had reluctantly agreed to tag along, and now stood with his friends in the courtyard, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst out of their visit. Behind Max stood Seth Monroe, a rival of Erikah's, and close friend of Max's. He was also from Kanto, and like his rival, was ecstatic about exploring, though now, looking at the ancient manse, he wasn't so sure about his decision.

On either side of Seth stood Kakashi Douroshi and Robyn Atlantin. Kakashi was a loyal friend of Hikari's from Sandgem Town, and was the one who had ultimately convince Hikari's coming to the chateau. Robyn, reigning champion of the Hoenn league, was the one who had suggested seeing the chateau, as long as everyone stayed together.

Now, the six friends stood in the yard of the old place, as if hesitant to even approach the door.

Seth was the first to speak, trying to convince himself. "Well, what are we waiting for? We didn't come all this way just to stand outside, right?"

Max glanced in his friend's direction. "I guess you're right." he said, and began walking towards the front steps. The others, all except Hikari, followed.

Upon reaching the door, Erikah turned around to see Hikari still frozen in place, her eyes on the upstairs window. "Hikari?" she asked, curiously. "Something wrong?" asked Kakashi. Hikari's attention shifted to her friends. "No, nothing..." she said, and with one last glance at the window, she ran to catch up with her friends.

"Do you think the door's locked?" asked Seth, as he tried the handle of the door, which wouldn't budge. Robyn put her hand on the door and pushed lightly, and the door swung open easily. "No." she answered. "What the-?" he started, dumbfounded. "Maybe the ghost of the door doesn't like you!" Erikah joked. "Yeah, sure. Maybe the _ghost _of the_ stairs _won't like you, and you'll fall through." he snapped back, defensively. "You can only wish, Seth." she answered.

They walked into the dusty, old grand hall of the chateau, and peered around. Though they had powerful flashlights, the hallway seemed to be bathed in an unsettling, penetrable darkness.

As their eyes adjusted to the dark, they began to make out the setup of the hall. It was wide, and ahead of them, they could see two wide stairways, heading up to the second floor. There was a single statue of an ancient looking Pokemon on the opposite wall. It was old and cracked, and it seemed to be staring at them, as if daring them to continue.

There were several doors off to the side of the six young teens, some of them broken in, some that looked like they had never been opened, and some hanging off their hinges. They somehow looked even darker than the hall, as if they were black holes.

There were many old pictures lining the walls, most had their paint chipping off, some where completely gone.

"Hey, um, maybe we should just come back in the morning, when it's lighter..." said Kakashi, glancing around nervously.

"I don't think we should." said Robyn, glancing outside. "The sun has almost completely set, and walking around in a forest at night is dangerous."

"So you're suggesting we stay the night here!?" Kakashi exclaimed, looking alarmed, "Why would walking back be any more dangerous than staying here? I mean, we have our Pokemon!"

"Robyn's right, Kakashi." said Erikah, "Besides, there's probably more than just Pokemon out there at night, anyway."

"What if there's more than just Pokemon in here, too?" asked Hikari. The others jumped at the sound of her voice. Hikari hadn't spoken much since coming here, and the way she said it wasn't all to pleasant.

"What are you talking about? Ghosts? You don't seriously believe in ghosts, do you?" asked Seth.

"Why not? You can find ghost Pokemon, can't you? I bet this place is teeming with ghastly." said Max, gravely.

"Yeah, but ghost people? I don't think so." Seth countered.

"Isn't that what we came looking for in the first place?" asked Erikah.

"Sure. But you guys didn't actually expect to see any, did you?" said Seth, "Why would we come if we _knew _there were ghosts. I just came because I like superstitious stuff."

"Either way, I vote we find somewhere to sleep. We'll put our strongest Pokemon on guard duty, if you're worried, Kakashi." Said Robyn.

"Okay, but only if we all stay together, or at least close. Right Hikari? ...Hikari?"

**And that's the end of chapter one. I know it's kinda too descriptive, and strays away from my main plot, but I had to introduce the mansion, which is known as the Old Chateau in Pokemon D/P, found in Eterna Forest. It will get more interesting, I promise!!**


	2. Not Enough

**Before starting this chapter I would like to thank anyone who at least attempted to read my story, even if did only get one review...**

**In answer to that review...**

**NYITNYIT- first of all, I want to say thanks for reviewing, and that you request has been noted. However, since people have already began to read the story, it'll be extremely difficult, and even more confusing to change the names again. If it does get really confusing, I'll post the character's mini-bio at the start of every chapter, so people can refer to it. And also, I'm planning to introduce the other characters at some point in the story. Anyhow, thanks for reviewing! .**

**Hikari Sunomoto- The female protagonist from Diamond and Pearl**

**Erikah Taylors- The female protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen **

**Robyn Atlantin- The female protagonist from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald**

**Maxwell/Max Hunter- Male protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen**

**Kakashi Douroshi- Male protagonist from Diamond/Pearl**

**Seth Monroe- Antagonist/Rival from Fire/Red**

**Chapter 2... "Not Enough"...**

When the friends turned to face Hikari, they found her shivering. "Hikari, quit scaring us like that. Are you trying to give us heart attacks, not answering for like, five minutes?" asked Seth.

"I don't like this place. It has a strange aura." She answered, avoiding the main question.

"What are you? One of those psychics we saw back there?" said Seth.

"Give her a break." said Max, "She's right. This place seems different from the entire forest."

"Yeah," said Seth, rolling his eyes. "We're inside."

"Cut it out, Seth." said Erikah, "We could all tell that you were scared of entering this place, too."

"Oh, yeah?" he sneered, "That's because I was worried that you might accidentally knock it down."

"Why you-" Robyn cut Erikah off.

"Both of you, be quiet. Do you here that?"

The six friends stopped and listened. A faint sound that sounded like music was coming from upstairs.

"D..do you think someone else is here, too?" asked Kakashi.

"No... they would have heard those two yelling at each other." Robyn answered.

"Maybe it's coming from outside, you know, like a passing worker taking a trip through the forest to get to the city?" suggested Seth.

"No, who would be traveling at this hour- 9:00? Besides, it's defiantly coming from upstairs." Robyn said.

"I told you we shouldn't have come! Why... why did I let you pull me into this!?" Hikari whimpered.

"Stop freaking out, Kari. I'm sure it's just our imagination!" said Erikah.

"Which all six of us are imagining at the same time?" she countered.

"We should check it out..." said Robyn. "After all, isn't that what we came for?"

"I'll go." Max volunteered, and started up the stairs.

"Alone!?" asked Erikah, incredulously. "What about me?"

"I can't let you," said Max. "My aunt will kill me-if whatever's in this house doesn't first- if I let anything happen to you." With that he continued up the stairs, and disappeared into the darkness, the beam from his flashlight growing dimmer.

It seemed like forever in the ten minutes that had passed since Max had left, and still there was no sight of him. Moments later, the music stopped.

"Max?" Erikah called. When her cousin didn't answer, she turned to her friends, a look of worry and fear scarring her face. "What if something happened to him?" She asked, her voice quiet and choked, as if she was holding back tears.

"I... I'm sure he's okay, Erikah," said Kakashi, trying to reassure her-and himself-. "We all know Max, and we all know he's capable of taking care of himself."

Suddenly they heard a yell from upstairs. "Max!?" cried Erikah, starting up the stairs towards his voice. The rest followed suit.

They found Max standing in front of an open door, staring at the far wall.

"Max! Are you okay!?" asked Erikah, throwing her arms around her cousin.

"Why were you gone so long?" asked Seth.

"And why did you yell?" Hikari questioned.

Max blinked, then shook his head. "I must be hallucinating..." he said, "but I could swear I saw that girl in that picture's eyes glow."

"What picture?" asked Seth, glancing around.

Max pointed. "The one in there. Nearest the window... with the girl with the pale blue eyes." he said.

"Well, it looks like just plain paint to me." said Seth.

"It looked real before..." Max said, "but as I said, I must be hallucinating."

Hikari stared at the picture. "Hey, Hikari, isn't this the room you were staring at from outside?" asked Kakashi.

"Hmm...? I guess it has to be... yes." she answered.

"It looks like it was probably the master bedroom." said Robyn, looking around it. The room was big and elegant. It had several pictures on the wall, including the portrait of the girl, and a large feathery bed. There was a dresser-bureau on the wall near the window.

"So, did you find the source of the music?" asked Kakashi, turning to look at Max. He nodded.

"That room down there." he said, pointing down the hallway.

"What was in it?" asked Seth.

"An old television. It looked like one from the mid 1940's. I guess it must of turned on by accident or something, because there was nothing there, just a book on the ground."

"A book?" asked Hikari, taking her eyes of the picture to look at Max. "What kind of book?"

He shrugged. "It looked like an old fairytale book."

"Do you think that the book fell from somewhere and hit the 'on' button for the TV?" asked Erikah.

"Probably, there was a table next to the TV, I guess it fell off there." Max answered.

"But if the TV has power, the so should the rest of the house, right?" asked Kakashi.

"Not necessarily. This is an old house, so the likelihood is that it runs on fuses." said Robyn.

"And fuses can be unreliable, causing only one or more power supplies to shut off, but not all." Seth finished.

"So, if we found the fuse box, do you think we could get the lights working?" asked Kakashi.

"Maybe, I don't know. There could be another reason that the lights aren't working." said Robyn.

"Like what? Paranormal paraphernalia?" asked Seth, rolling his eyes again.

"Well, that wasn't what I was thinking of, but maybe." said Robyn. Seth cringed.

"You're not serious! I thought you were the most sensible one in this group." he whined.

"She was the one who suggested it, remember?" said Kakashi. He turned to Robyn. "But still... could it be ghosts?"

"I don't know. It depends on what you think a 'ghost' is." she answered.

Suddenly a rapid tapping sound started up. "Wha- What's that!?" cried Seth, nearly jumping out of his skin.

"It's raining, genius." said Erikah.

"Great. The perfect horror-story cliché. On a dark, stormy night..."

"Be quiet, Seth!" said Erikah. "It's like you're trying to scare yourself!"

"Guys... it's getting late, could you please stop fighting? We're all in this together, right?" said Hikari.

"She's right," said Max. "and I think that we all need some sleep. It'll be brighter in the morning, and we'll be able to go home. So let's find somewhere to rest, and hope it all blows over."

Kakashi yawned. "Yeah, I'm tired. But... I don't know if I can sleep in this place."

"Just try, okay?" said Max. "I think I saw some guest rooms down the hall."

"How many beds were there?" asked Robyn.

"Two... and there was enough space on the floor to spread out three more makeshift beds with sheets." said Max.

"Oh... but that only makes five..." said Hikari.

"And there are six of us." finished Kakashi.

**End chapter two. Are my endings cliff-hanger-y enough? That's kinda what I'm aiming for. Anyway, please review. I know your out there! Please!**


	3. What's in A Portrait?

**Chapter 3.**

**Sorry I took so long to write this, the end of the year is busier for me than the middle for some reason. (I guess it's the teachers trying to fit in all that work.) **

**Hikari Sunomoto- The female protagonist from Diamond and Pearl**

**Erikah Taylors- The female protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen **

**Robyn Atlantin- The female protagonist from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald**

**Maxwell/Max Hunter- Male protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen**

**Kakashi Douroshi- Male protagonist from Diamond/Pearl**

**Seth Monroe- Antagonist/Rival from Fire/Red**

**Reviews...**

**xSxAx- Are my names really that confusing? Lol. Well, thanks for reviewing, it made me feel like my story was wanted:P. There's a lot of names to cut and paste in this chapter, so good luck. :)**

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"**Oh... but that only makes five..."**

"**And there are six of us."**

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**Chapter 3... What's in A Portrait?...**

"One of us will have to stay in the master bedroom." decided Robyn.

"If this was a five-star hotel, I would be in there in a second." said Seth. "But it's not. I vote 'not me.'"

"Figures." said Erikah. "I'll go... it can't be that bad, right."

"Yeah, and it's only a few doors down," said Robyn, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Who knows? Maybe it'll be fun!" Erikah reassured herself.

"Careful of the _painting_, Erikah." said Seth. "_Woooooh_!"

"Shut up, Seth." said Max, "You weren't even manly enough to offer yourself."

Seth quickly shut his mouth. The group said goodnight to Erikah and then headed off in the direction of the guest rooms.

In the guest room, they found a small closet filled with sheets. They were old and musty, but usable. Robyn and Hikari spread out the sheets on the floor, while the boys watched.

"You know, it is possible for you guys to help once in a while." said Robyn.

"No, thanks." said Seth, "It's not my thing." Robyn just rolled her eyes.

"I'll help." said Max, slipping off the side of the bed and kneeling on the ground next to the girls.

"Me, too." said Kakashi, doing the same.

Once all the sheets were spread out the group picked beds. It was decided, with much distress from Seth, that the two girls could take the beds and the boys take the floor.

Seth fell asleep as soon as his head hid the pillow, and soon after, Kakashi and Robyn drifted off to sleep as well, leaving Hikari and Max awake.

"Do you think Erikah will be alright?" asked Hikari, worriedly.

"Yeah, she's a tough girl." said Max. "I don't think we'll have to worry."

"Why is Seth always so rude to her?" Hikari wondered aloud.

"Because he likes her." said Max, "It may not seem like it, but if anything was to happen to her, he would be the first at her side."

Hikari looked surprised. "So he shows his affection for her by pushing her away?" she asked.

"Some people are like that, I guess." said Max.

"Do you think she knows?" asked Hikari,shifting around to get more comfortable.

"I don't know... I don't think so, she's never said anything about it."

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As Erikah settled down into the huge bed, she wondered what time it was. The angle of the moonlight seeping in through the cracked window told her it was about 10:30.

She sighed, wishing she'd never volunteered to take the room. It was old and dirty, and it creaked a lot. Plus, the crack in the window let the rain in, so among the _pitter-patter _of the rain on the glass, she could hear a rhythmic yet monotonous tapping on the wooden window-sill.

She glanced at the majestic yet eerie portrait of the girl. She looked young, and though she had pretty features, her eyes were ugly. They were dull, and showed no emotion whatsoever.

Erikah shivered and looked away. The portrait gave her a strange sense of dread. As if it were someone watching her every move.

She turned sideways in her bed and tried to sleep. Finally after what seemed like hours, the dripping of the rain lulled her into a dreamless sleep.

She was woken ten minutes later by a particularly ground-rattling roll of thunder. As she sat up, she noticed two curious red pinpricks of light on the end of her bed. She turned to look at their source and was horrified by what she saw.

The girls face in the picture had distorted to a look of pure evil. Her eyes glowed red and her mouth had curled into what seemed like and eternal black hole, beckoning Erikah to her imminent doom. Her hands, which had once before been folded on her lap, were grasping on to the portraits frame, and it seemed as though she was pulling herself _out_ of the picture.

Thick, dark blood began seeping out of the girls red eyes. Erikah tumbled out of the bed, her face contorting into a look of shock. She tried to scramble up, but found her legs tangled in the bedsheets. The girl had now pulled her self completely out of the frame that had once held her. Her pretty, blue dress was now in shreds, and dragged along the floor as she approached the bed she reached out her decrepit hand towards Erikah.

The girl uttered a single sentence to Erikah and a scratchy, hollow voice..._ "Will you play with me?"_

Erikah let out a single, long, blood-curdling scream.

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Max and Hikari jumped up at the sound of the scream, and the other three were startled awake.

"Was that-" started Max.

"_Erikah!_" cried Seth.

**...End chapter 3...**

**Sorry that was so short, bur I had to end it there. Please review!!**


	4. Cracked Paint

**Finally, Summer vacation! That means I can update more regularly!**

**Reviews...**

**Julie- I hope you haven't already left yet! I'm so happy that you like the story, because I was starting to have doubts about it! Hemophobia, otherwise spelled haemophobia, is the fear of blood, so you are correct. In answer to your questions. 1.The idea of this was from a nightmare I had, but the girl is based on Alice McGee (It's a long story, I'll explain it at the end of the chapter, but think _Alice In Wonderland). _2. The "will you play with me?" was kinda from a Fire Emblem fanfic I read called Plea of Insanity, but altered. 3. I hope this is fast enough!... OMG, no Internet access!? How will you survive!? Lol... j/k. oh and the only actual official Japanese name I used was Hikari, the female protagonist or Diamond and Pearl.**

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**Hikari Sunomoto- The female protagonist from Diamond and Pearl**

**Erikah Taylors- The female protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen **

**Robyn Atlantin- The female protagonist from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald**

**Maxwell/Max Hunter- Male protagonist from FireRed/LeafGreen**

**Kakashi Douroshi- Male protagonist from Diamond/Pearl**

**Seth Monroe- Antagonist/Rival from Fire/Red**

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"**_Will you play with me?"_**

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**...Chapter Four... Cracked Paint...**

The five teens ran down the hall to the Master Bedroom. When they reached it, they stood panting, catching their breath before entering.

The room was empty. Erikah was nowhere in sight. The bedsheets still looked unused. In fact, the room still looked as if no one had stayed there in years.

Seth walked slowly towards the bed. "Erikah?" he whispered, quietly. No answer. "Erikah?" he asked a little louder. There was still no trace of Erikah.

"She's not here..." said Kakashi, nervously.

"In fact, it looks as if she was never here." said Robyn. "No pack, no pokeballs, no... nothing."

"D..do you think she's downstairs?" asked Kakashi, still nervous.

"The scream definitely came from here." said Hikari.

"We would know, we were awake..." said Max. "We could have helped her..."

Hikari stared down at the floor.

"Hey, this isn't you guys' fault. Besides, she's probably fine." said Robin, trying to comfort the downcast pair.

"Yeah, she's probably playing a trick on us." said Seth, speaking for the first time.

"Maybe you're right." said Max. "We should look for her."

"Let's go." said Robyn.

As the group left the room, the portrait of the girl caught Hikari's eye. Before, she was sure that the girl's eyes had been looking the other way, and that there had been no trace of a smile on her face. Now, the girls eyes were facing the bed, and the was a small, but malicious-looking smile on her lips. She also noticed small cracks around the eyes and mouth, as if the paint had been slightly chipped away. Hikari's eyes fell towards the floor beneath the painting. There were several flakes of paint on the ground. When she looked up, the cracks were gone.

"Hikari?" asked Max. "Are you coming?"

"Was that painting like that before?" Hikari asked. Max glanced at the painting.

"I don't know. I don't see a difference... but then, I wasn't really paying attention to it." he said

Hikari pulled her eyes from the portrait and followed Max out to join the rest of the group.

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"Where should we start?" asked Robyn.

The five of them had climbed down the large, long, main staircase, and were now standing in the great hall, looking around at the many doors surrounding them.

"Dammit, this place is huge!" said Seth. "How are we supposed to find anything in this dump?"

"We should split up into groups." said Robyn.

"S..split up!? I..isn't that dangerous?" asked Kakashi, alarmed.

"What... are you scared of seeing Erikah?" asked Seth, scornfully, although he had a worried look in his eyes.

"N..no! That's not it!" said Kakashi.

"If we are going to split up, we should at least have our Pokemon out." said Max.

"Oh..." said Kakashi. "I left them upstairs."

"Do you want to go get them?" asked Robyn. "I'll come with you."

Kakashi had had the feeling all night that the others though of him as a scaredy-cat. He wanted to prove them wrong. He also wanted to appear brave for Hikari.

"Nah, it's okay." he said, "You guys wait here, I'll be right back." On that note, he ran back up the stairs. It was a mistake.

The others sat down on the floor.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" asked Hikari. She remembered what she'd noticed about the portrait, and was worried for her friend.

"He'll be fine, don't worry." said Max reassuringly.

"As long as he doesn't wet his pants." sneered Alex.

"Shut up." said Max and Robyn, simultaneously.

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As Kakashi ran past the rooms on the way to the guest room, he noticed an two odd red lights on the floor just inside the door of the Master Bedroom.

"Erikah?" he asked, taking a step inside. "Hello?"

The door closed behind him. He heard a scratchy, feminine voice from across the room: "_Erikah didn't want to play with me_..."

"T..this isn't funny, Erikah!" he cried, looking up.

Kakashi gasped at what he saw. The moonlight that illuminated the dark room showed him the portrait. It was just an empty, gaping canvas.

He backed against the door and tried the handle. It was stuck. A thick red substance, that smelled distinctly of blood, was oozing out of the lock and cracks in the handle.

His head whipped around to the side when he heard the voice again. "_Will you play with me?" _

A girl stood there in a ripped, extremely dirty dress. Her blond hair was covering half her face, but her one visible eye looked like a gaping black hole. She raised her arm towards Kakashi.

"_Play with me..."_

Kakashi didn't have time to scream. He was to stunned to speak, anyway.

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"What's taking him so long?" groaned Seth.

Kakashi had been gone for ten minutes already, and there was no trace of him.

"Maybe he got lost? I mean, there _are _a lot of rooms up there." suggested Max.

"But the guest room was relatively near the stairs, and it's easy enough to find." said Robyn.

"I'm sure he's-" Max started, but was cut off when something dripped from the ceiling and landed on his shoulder.

He looked up. "Aargh!" he cried out in disgust and fear. The other's eyes followed. A pool of deep red blood had seeped through the ceiling, and began dripping to the ground.

"That's..." started Hikari.

"The master bedroom!!" Seth finished.

**...End Chapter Four...**

**Eew... a very bloody chapter.**

**Anyway, I believe I said I was going to explain the significance of Alice McGee. (Her name isn't actually McGee.) Alice is the character in Alice in Wonderland, the movie where she falls into some weird world. It is commonly thought that Alice was a disturbed girl suffering from schizophrenia, who went completely mad after her parents died in a fire. This landed her in an asylum. It was said that she made up worlds and "friends" in her head and then "played" with them, eventually murdering them. Her last name is derived by fans from the game American McGee's Alice. A game that is a twisted version on Alice In Wonderland. (Pretty gruesome, huh?)**

**Anyways... please review!**


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